The electronic, magnetic, and electric transport properties of spin valves of the type Cu(111)/CoO/Co/Cu/Co/Cu(111) are investigated in terms of the local density functional theory by means of the fully relativistic screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker and the Kubo-Greenwood equation. This investigation concentrates on anisotropy effects for twisting energies and electric transport perpendicular to the planes of atoms. It is found that by rotating uniformly the orientation of the magnetization in the free layer with respect to the one in the pinned layer, for most of the spacer thicknesses considered (14-48 monolayers) the twisting energy shows strong deviations from a (1-cos Theta) behavior, while the corresponding sheet resistances and the magnetoresistance do follow this simple law. Furthermore, it is shown that interdiffusion in the two atomic layers forming the Co/Cu interfaces is only of maginal importance for anisotropy effects in the twisting energies; however, it reduces-as to be expected-the magnetoresistance.
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